review 1: This collection of short stories started out strong and then fizzled out near the end. I liked the strong eerie aura around the earlier stories, with strange things happening and a touch of magic realism. The author has a really good command of language and someone else described this book as "literary horror" which is pretty accurate. Unlike Stephen King, this man knows how to give you a short straightforward story that's low on the outright horror factor, but high on general creepiness. That said, the stories near the end started having lower quality until the abysmal "St. Dismas". Seriously, that story just sucked. They pick back up a bit before finishing on a high note. Stay Awake is a very uneven collection, but worth reading. review 2: Dan Chaon writes so... moreme incredible short stories. However, after the third or fourth, it became repetitive: similar themes, similar voice, characters who differ from each other but struggle with the same kinds of problems. I would love to read one of Dan Chaon's short stories in a different context; in an anthology with many different writers, I do believe his work would stand out. One story right after another, however, it gets a bit tiring. less
